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Mike James
Michael Lamont James (born June 23 1975 in Amityville, New York) is a professional basketball player who plays for the Toronto Raptors in the NBA. He is 6'2" and 190 lbs. Following a college career at Duquesne University that saw him finish ranked third all-time in steals (201), fifth in assists (348) and 10th in points (1,411) at the school and included being named to the all Atlantic 10 Conference 1st team in his senior year, he was not drafted. He began his NBA career when he signed as a free agent with the Miami Heat during the 2001-2002 season. He has since played for the Boston Celtics, the Detroit Pistons, the Milwaukee Bucks, Houston Rockets and the Toronto Raptors averaging 11.9 points per game. As the starting point guard for the Raptors during the 2005-2006 season, he averaged 20.3 points, 5.8 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game and shot 47% from the field including 44.2% from 3-point range which ranked among the league leaders. Mike James is the first undrafted player in the history of the NBA to average 20 points a game. On April 11, 2006, Mike James became the first Toronto Raptor to score 30 or more points in 4 consecutive games, a feat that the high scoring Vince Carter never accomplished. James was a member of the Pistons' 2004 NBA Championship team as a reserve. He and fellow reserve guard Lindsey Hunter formed a formidable defensive guard combination nicknamed the "Pit Bulls" by Rasheed Wallace, because of their aggressive nature on defense. On October 4 2005, James was traded from the Houston Rockets to the Toronto Raptors for Rafer Alston. Since coming to Toronto, he has made a beneficial impact on the team. He is the second leading scorer on the team, behind Chris Bosh. He is an excellent 3-point shooter, and also possesses the dribbling skill and quickness to drive past defenders to the basket. He is known to be a one-dimensional player, and late in close games in the 2005-06 season he has shown a propensity for firing off quick 3-pointers, which throughout the season have either won games for the Raptors (when he makes them) or lost games for them (when they miss) in the final minutes. This has led to criticism by some fans that, for a point guard, he shoots the ball too much rather than pass it to the right teammates at the right time. While playing for Toronto in the 2005-06 season, he has reached a career high of 39 points in a win against the Detroit Pistons. Recent media scrutiny James has lately come under fire for allegedly using the media as leverage for a contract. He has indicated that he would be willing to take a 2 year contract with an option for a third year to prove that he can still play at a high level. He has drawn criticism recently for using personal monetary benefits as excuses for wins. External links *ESPN.com *NBA.com *SI.com *Yahoo Sports *Video of Mike James responding to criticism over his style of play James, Mike James, Mike James, Mike James, Mike James, Mike James, Mike James, Mike James, Mike James, Mike James, Mike James, Mike